Due in June 13 - the epic continues!!

[katzguk]

new thread - so my home computer can cope!

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Welshmum DH can cook as well as fix the pipes and do DIY???!!? Glad she had a good day

Evening all I've re-discovered the joys of evening MN time! DH is watching dull dull Farscape (I've already had to sit through Dr WHo and the BBC3 making-of documentary) so it's escape time!

But we are meant to be painting the nursery tonight, cos we've got a carpet waiting at CarpetRight to be fitted!

Bought another Avent manual breast pump today - can't find my original pump from when ds was ickle so that's an annoying expense.

Cooperoo - We need a Moses basket mattress too. Didn't have a Moses basket last time - ds was in a travel cot basinette thingy for the first couple of weeks before we moved him to his own room ( he snored so much he kept us awake!!)

This time round I feel I should at least attempt to follow the recommendations and have this baby in the same room for as long as possible, so Moses basket it is.

John Lewis do a good one for £12, but I've also seen a lovely natural organic one for £25 in the Green Baby catalogue. Got some gorgeous fitted Moses bskt sheets from thebabycatalogue.com which arrived yesterday. THey're made by tghe same people who make Kushies washable nappies which really didn't work for us, but their clothes and bedding are really cute and very well made and wash forever.

Charleypops - no longer chopping logs, now shovelling coal instead . The house is toasty warm, although the weather is so much better now anyway. GEtting new heating system this summer - dh is turning us v environmentally friendly so we're getting a geothermal heat pump (heat from underground powers the boiler) installed which in the long run could work entirely from solar panels!! THe Good Life here we come!!

Is anyone planning a summer holiday with a newborn?? We're not sure what to do this year - what's everyone else doing with these summer sproglets??

Coop - surely given your circumstances they should consider making a place for him in September? Someone might want to swap out of the Sept group to an earlier or later course? Could one of you not call to put your case forward? Yes, sorry, it's the deposit you give them for the trial that gets knocked off. Thanks for the tip about booking early! You know, I don't find ebay that good value when it comes to used washables? Do you? Maybe I will when i have a better idea of what I'm looking for....

Pink - hi! At least we know it's going to be a shock I suppose

Welshie - Glad you and dd had a great day. I imagine things like that can very easily go wrong.

Lynny - I managed to find the sales page on the NCT website, there's one in my town next Saturday!! It's only on for a couple of hour so imagine it will be a mad scramble. Think I'll hold back a bit too til the crush is over - don't want my bump bumping!

McMudda - Hurrah for getting a new heating system! Sounds very advanced - I can get my head around the solar panels, but taking heat from under the ground - they're not having to bore to the centre of the Earth are they?? I caught a few episodes of The Good Life today on Sky - what a fab show! Margo really had me in stitches! I dunno either about a holiday with a newborn......

Morning ladies, just a brief stop by as we are off to see my new nephew today, at his great-grandparents' house. (And my niece, bro and SIL as well, obviously). Had great fun choosing a little outfit as a belated birthday present, particularly as we should get it back as a hand-me-down in a few months' time

Cobweb, I realised after I'd posted that you must have meant May and not June. In denial about how soon that is?! I do not blame you! I hope you will have somewhere to live for when the baby comes, what a nightmare about your house falling through.

Coop, I agree with Charley, I think dh should put the pressure on to get a place on the September course. That makes a lot more sense under the circs. I can't see the big deal about flying with such a small one, assuming you are coming on a commercial airline and not a Forces transporter, obviously

For any and all - a list of NCT Nearly New sales I found a little while ago.

Right, better get packing, have a lovely Sunday all!

Morning!
Had a bit of a nightmare day yesterday - most of it was spent in hospital! Noticed bleeding which carried on for a few hours - so went in. Turns out I have quite a bad cervical errosion! (Before you ask - no I've not been shagging loads lately!). Baby ok - perhaps I need to take it easy though!

I'm pleased everyone is getting such bargains from NCT nearly new sales - I am hoping to get along to one soon! Thanks Tri for the link!

DH has gone to pick up Bugaboo today - YIPPEE! Guess what I'm gonna be playing with all afternoon!

sorry your day so horrible yesterday megi, but if our experience anything to go buy you will have fantastic afternoon.

we picked up bugaboo on friday - prob horribly overpriced but fantastic. don't miss the cd rom with groovy dutch folk demonstrating all the joys of it.

wasn't until we had been playing with it for a couple of hours that it occurred to us that with the extra bits and pieces it had cost more than our car!

think am a marketing mans dream when it comes to baby stuff.

Hello all
Pink - Hope you enjoyed your potato. I am in denial too....
Welshie - Glad all went so well and agree with Pink about and at DH making the cake.
Lynny - Glad you got so many bargains at the sale. White vinegar goes in the fabric conditioner bit in theory to soften the nappies. I didn't find it worked for us and indeed I think dd may have been sensitive to it despite doing an extra rinse. Lots of people swear by it though. Are you in a hard water area? We have very hard water out here (our machine will be shagged very soon) and so I think the vinegar couldn't touch it.
McMudda - How annoying about the breast pump. I have dug mine out and discovered the silicone bits have gone all gooey . I have contacted Avent about replacement parts but the bit I really need (the 'petal massager') doesn't seem available. I will have to look at John Lewis as I have remembered I have some vouchers for there left over from Christmas and they do take them on line. I am impressed with your heating system too. We have panels for our hot water but they are no good in the winter. Where do you live? Our summer holiday will be a trip to the UK (we live in Cyprus at the mo) so I am not much help there.
Trib - Hope you had a fab day with your new nephew and family. Lol about flying on a RAF transporter! We do have the option to use the RAF planes (passenger ones) but it is on a standby basis and so too risky for us to try for four seats (babies get a seat) at such a busy time of year. If DH does his course he is guaranteed a seat but we are not and I am not flying without him with two children. I have done it too many times alone with dd and no more!
Charley - I will get DH to do some more homework about the Sep course too. Ebay is hit and miss for the nappies, especially when you add on the postage too but there were a few bits I wanted. I have bid a bit more than I meant to on the pop up crib too so I am not placing any more bids for a while. Got a bit over excited yesterday.
I have spent today sorting out all the stuff I have for the baby. We have more than I thought which is good. How many vests and babygrows do we think we need? The stuff is so small I can hardly believe that dd was ever that tiny, or that I will soon have another one like that!

Sorry Megi x posted. Hope things are better for you today. What a scare. Do take it very easy. Has the bleeding stopped? I hope so.
Lummox - Lol about the cost of your Bugaboos.
Hope you have fun with them!!

Well, said I'd catch up on Weds and here I am on Sun afternoon!
Happy belated b/day to Uki and to welshmum's dd!
Lynny - just wanted to add my admiration to everyone else's.
Hi Megi - hope things have calmed down with the bleeding.
Sorry if there's anything else I haven't mentioned - just need to do a mega-quick catch-up now!
Good grief, induction dates 'already'!
Uwila, I'm also 'having' to work on as well, despite being legally entitled to stop THIS WEDS! (I wish) (Posted my dilemma a while back - prob on thread before last ). It's just that what I don't teach now I will have to catch up with later, as I am literally irreplacable in our department, and I don't want to have to be catching up with courses more than I absolutely have to in the semester break - as it stands I will in effect be going back (i.e. actually going back teaching in uni) in mid-Oct and despite, even then, only having to actually go in on 3 days, don't want to have to do it a minute sooner than necessary. I get 8 weeks off after the birth and am planning to take my entire year's holiday plus 4 days left over from last year directly after that, so I only even have to start working from home again in Sept.
Had my GBS test on Friday (results back next week, I suppose) and am going for another check-up and scan tomorrow and will also be going to the hospital to discuss the birth due to my hip problems. It is getting so close and so real - had a 'scared' moment or two last week, not so much about the birth as about afterwards - how well will I cope with what will be a huge adjustment. However, impatience for the birth is now back at the front of the agenda...

p.s. can't stop work as I am only earner, dh is a doctoral student and will be a sahd for the 3 days from the autumn.

Is anyone else having strange dreams? I had a strange dream about my tens machine last night and labour. I was dreaming that the labour all went ok. Thats better than a horrid dream I suppose. I fell back asleep then and had a horrid dream about a woman locked inside a solid wood box. I had to use a chain saw to help her escape the trap. Not sure what that means. It was horrible though I used all my errot trying to free her but it was the hardest thing I ever did. I wasn't even pleased to see her when I had freed her. I was just relieved, I didn't stop though I just went on with the other things. I had no time to care about her or anything.

Wierd, All I can think it means (after an afternoon pondering the dream) is that I feel entirely trapped and I'll have to work really hard to stop myself sinking into obscurity. Even if I do keep my head above board and manage to escape being trapped by the pregnancy/baby then I don't really foresee any other real pleasure. I feel vastly that life is arduous and pointless right now and I don't think adding a baby to the equation is the wisest thing to do.

Anyway I have to go I have work for college that I haven't done and is due tomorrow. I have to get on with it, if I fail the exams I'll be devistated. Though I am vastly on the way to failing because I have done literally nothing and can't get the baby off my mind. Honestly I am already sick of the baby and he isn't born yet.

effort - errot

Oh pink - big hugs.
You sound pretty down - no wonder with college work stress and exams coming up. I know they can make life seem like an uphill struggle when one isn't pregnant, let alone when one is. Don't feel bad about how you're feeling - it will pass and there will be better days. It will seem worth it when baby is there - yes, it is a big thing and will change your life in all sorts of ways but you will cope, I'm sure you won't sink into obscurity and you will be so proud of yourself . I know what an effect a weird/horrible dream can have on you - I've had dreams which have 'sat in my bones' literally all day. I continually dream about being back at my parents' (a bad thing for reasons I won't go into now) - last night was a case in point - and when I wake up it always takes a few minutes for me to 'come to' and then I just feel so grateful that I'm out of there.
Don't add to your bad feelings with work/exam panic - sit down, start working as methodically as possible and set realistic goals for yourself. It doesn't have to be an A+ - concentrate on passing and take one hurdle at a time.
Best of luck

Oh Pink, I wish so much that I could cheer you up, but I just don't know how to make it better for you. Couldn't you do something really mean and nasty to your neighbors from Hell, just have a little fun and make yourself feel better... Just kiding (well, sort of).

Speaking of the evil neighbors, did you ever get the mail problem sorted? What about the pram? Are you still worried about it being stolen?

DH wanted me to let everyone know what a good dad he is and about the gross task he had to endure tonight. He gave DD a bath. While he was in the other room and she was in the tub, she started to scream. He went back into the bathroom, only to discover standing there handing him her poo (which she evidently didn't want in the tub with her). He now feels he's earned his gold star of fatherhood for the year. I'm so glad I didn't go running when I hear the scream.

Hi everyone,

Had a busy weekend here, but a good one too

Coop, I had a Samsonite pop-up thingy. Very useful for the beach and shading baby (although we hardly bothered leaving the poolside on the holidays we took). But not very comfortable in the long-term, it really is more flimsy than a travel cot. We might have used it once overnight, on the floor.

McMudda, It's great to see you back again! We took dd to Europe when she was 3 weeks, to visit relatives and then took her to the Caribbean when she was 5 months, again to see relatives. So, both trips were quite important. This time we're going away for 2 weeks in August. Tbh, I hadn't given travelling with a new baby a moments thought when planning it! We'll be going away again in November.

Welshie, glad the party went well. My dp is also chief birthday cake maker in household, he has special 'family' recipe that gets used every time - delicious!

Megi, sorry you had the bleeding It must have been a shock, poor you. What does cervical erosion mean? What are the implications for birth etc. if any? I spent a night in hospital last time, at 28 weeks, possible pre-eclampsia, which wasn't. The thought of seeing your baby 10 weeks early is pretty scary!

Charley, NCT sales can be good, but a total bunfight as people have said. This wont apply to you, but don't take children!! People start queueing early, most have an item they really want and go for it as soon as they get in to bag said item. I agree withthe holding back idea, but also I think if you do, there may be not much left tbh, may be worth getting in on the scrum!

Hi Pink, I'm starting to have weird dreams too, last night was the first one. It was me breastfeeding and for some reason there was an aura of unpleasantness about it, undefinable dream feelings. The next part of the dream was that I gave the daughter of a friend of mine, egg, which she is allergic to it was horrid, although in my dream the dd was fine, in real life it would be very serious.

Sorry you feel so shitty We're here to listen.

I must mention the latest in the builders saga, briefly, I promise! It turns out, they haven't plumbed for a radiator, as listed in their quote. They were telling us last week we wouldn't need one and could just get an electric heater... Ah dear. Have just emailed them to say, actually, we'll have the radiator please, I await their response with baited breath!

Pink - hope you're feeling a bit better today, those vivid dreams just grab hold of you sometimes and it's really hard to get them out of your head. I know what you mean about sinking into obscurity too, it's a strange old time the first few weeks with a new baby - if you're anything like me you spend a deal of time deciding who you are now and trying hard to hang on to bits of who you were - because they're so important to you. I guess we'll all go through it together.....
Megi - hope things have settled down with you now. I had bleeding throughout the pg last time and they never found out what it was - glad you got a cause out of them - one that's far removed from anything being wrong with the baby.
Lippy - how could they think you didn't need a radiator? Honestly - let me at them! We've now cleared the room that will be the new baby's ready for Mr Fimble to paint tomorrow. We decided on a kind of soft caramel colour, just got to make sure that I can sort a carpet out quickly now. Something nice and soft for my toes at 3am!
Uwila - your story about the pooh brought back memories. I remember dd getting out of the bath about a year ago and saying 'pooh' and dh just putting out his hand and catching it - the day he earned his fatherhood spurs!

Morning ladies - just wanted to pop in and say hello - hope your all keeping well!!!

Just wanted to let the remainder of you know my news as I am now "out of the closet" so to speak.

The QC secret was me - sorry for annoying some of you!!! It means quietlycautious whcih was the name I have been posting under on the due in December thread

dh and I managed to fall pregnant after 1 month of trying and I am due on 4th Dec.

It's still early days and we've very nervous but utterly thrilled at the same time.

Anyway, take care everyone - will still be sneeking on for a peek at how you're all doing.

Take care and much love
SH xxx

Morning all,

Welshie glad the party was a success - second the other comments...dh, cooks, looks good in pants (no mean feat!) and does diy - you lucky, lucky lady!

Uki - Hope your Birthday was fab too

Cobweb - HI YA sorry to hear your having a bad time, at this time especially. Can you find temporary housing as a stop gap, or will the council step in and do something? Gosh 23rd May - it's very soon isn't it!!!!

Mcmudda, we've got a holiday booked for early september - but just to North Devon, although I'd have no qualms about flying with a little one - infact the smaller the better - they sleep most of the way and don't want to run up and down the aisles, or flip the trays up and down on the seat in front!!

Megi - poor you, I also had cervical erosion last time at 28 weeks, and was in hospital for a short while until they diagnosed it. Lots of women get it all the time even when not pg, they just don't know it - it's strange that it's not really talked about by MW / pg books as it really is quite normal, but extremely worrying if you're not aware it might happen. Lippy - it's the where the blood in the walls of the cervix can 'leak' at times - usually after sex, physical exercise, and when pg because your blood flow increases massively, or sometimes just because, hth.

Pink ((hugs)) - have had horrid dreams too that have lingered on your mind for ages too...although am trying to focus thoughts on nasty things happening to bosses at the moment...maybe as Uwila says you could concentrate those thoughts on your neighbours - probably won't change things but will hopefully make you feel abit better in the short term!

Well mum had ds on saturday, and we managed to sort out dd-to-be's room; settling up the cot & moses basket, getting the first stage buggy and clothes out of the attic, washing and ironing the 0-3 mth clothes / blankets / muslins, putting up the blackout blind and sorting out which if any of the bottles and sterilising bits and bobs can be used again. Am absolutely knackered now, but happy it's all sorted...so now she'll be late and have to be induced!!!

Sweetheart - morning - and congratulations again...and you'd better keep popping in - we're popping in on you too afterall, so fair's fair

Sweetheart - how lovely to hear from you. Hope things go really, really well.
KVG - would like to say that I'm no expert in kids parties at all. Just wanted something relatively easy for me at 33 weeks pg - and hiring out softplay meant I didn't have to clear up afterwards! I am a bit of a strict mummy too - so not too much chocolate available, 'good for you' fruit things for sweets, fizzy water to drink and no party bags. Heaven knows how they manage to enjoy themselves!!!
And as for my wonderful DH - well he is very capable but like all men still retains arse-like qualities (love him to bits though)